With spring officially here, the Seattle Animal Shelter is warning cat owners about the dangers flowers can pose to cats.

“Lilies, including Easter lily, tiger lily, rubrum lily, Japanese show lily and some species of day lilies can cause kidney failure in cats,” said Don Jordan, director of the Seattle Animal Shelter. “All parts of the lily plant are considered toxic to cats and consuming even small amounts can be life threatening.”

He said within only a few hours of ingesting the toxic plant material, a cat may vomit, become lethargic or lose its appetite. The signs worsen as kidney damage progresses and without prompt treatment a cat may develop kidney failure within 36 hours.

To help educate cat owners and veterinarians about the dangers of lilies and other plants, the Animal Poison Control Center and the “No Lilies for Cats Campaign,” have developed online materials including photos of common types of dangerous lilies and a list of non-toxic plants. To download the materials, visitwww.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/plants or www.noliliesforcats.com/